Of all the KubeCons I attended, KubeCon Paris was among the most taxing. I was constantly on the move, attending talks, meetings, and networking. The conference days were so tiring that I barely took any time to explore Paris. I used to come to my hotel and crash.
However, after the conference, when I decided to extend my stay by a few days, I wanted a budget-friendly place to stay. That’s when I found The People Hostel in Paris and booked it.
In this blog post, I share my experience at The People Hostel and why I booked it twice in one trip. This was only my second international hostel accommodation after Hi Hostel Chicago. In India, I stayed in a Cohostel in Mumbai which was a decent experience.
Expensive Accommodation in Paris
Paris is one of the most beautiful cities and also one of the most expensive. As a speaker at KubeCon, I received some funding to cover the cost of my stay. Depending on the area, hotel rates can go up to 30-40k INR per night, which is super expensive.
The hotel I stayed at in Montparnasse, which was closer to the venue, cost me almost Rs 70,000 for a four-night stay. According to Paris standards, it wasn’t a fancy hotel, but it was expensive.
Hence, staying here wasn’t an option when I wanted to extend my stay. I had to look for more budget-friendly options, and that’s when I started looking for hostels in Paris. The one that I found most reviewed and recommended was The People Hostel, and I took a leap of faith and booked a night there.
The People Hostel, Bercy Review
Like Hosteller and Zostel in India, it is a chain of hostels in France. They have a presence in more than 5 cities across France, with more than 4 options in Paris itself.
Since I planned to travel to Switzerland and Italy after KubeCon, I booked The People Hostel in Bercy. It was relatively closer to Gare de Lyon, from which you can take the TGV and other high-speed trains to Switzerland.
Further, it’s close to many Paris metro stations, so you can literally go anywhere. This includes the Eiffel Tower, Roland Garros Stadium, and the Palace of Versailles, so full marks for the location.
Ambiance and Setup
The property is located on a busy street and a junction, but surprisingly, the rooms are shielded well from any noise. They have a small bar the moment you enter, followed by an even smaller yet very functional reception, which is manned almost all the time.
On the same floor, you have a little kitchen/cafeteria where you can cook small plates. There’s also a relatively large common area with ample seating space, a foosball table and other games for people to relax and chill. It’s not one of the biggest common areas I’ve seen, but it’s enough for the number of people staying. They also have a small courtyard as well.
There’s also an open terrace area, which I didn’t visit since I was out of bed early in the morning and returned only in the evening. But I know it’s a happening place if you are a party animal.
My 8-bed mixed dormitory Experience
Since I was travelling solo, I booked a bed in an 8-bed mixed dormitory which was on the 4th floor. I checked in late in the evening after dropping my luggage at Gare De Lyon’s luggage storage facility—more about this in a future blog post. The receptionist was super quick to facilitate the check-in and let me in.
I took the elevator to the lobby, which was quite colourful. The door to the dorm was also pretty, and it was secured with an access card. Once inside, there were four sets of bunk beds aligned on two sides of the wall. There was also an attached washroom and bath area; it was surely one of the smallest ones I’ve been to. It was fully functional but very small.
There was also a cloth stand, which was shared; it could have been a little larger, or maybe one more could have been provided. There was one large locker provided with every bed as well where you could lock and store things.
Coming to the bed and the personal space was one of the most comfiest ones I had experienced. I requested a lower bed, which I got. There was a small rack to place items like specs, earphones, mobile, etc., close to a charging socket so you could easily charge your devices.
There was also a small locker inside to store a few things. Instead of providing one bulb-type light, there was an LED strip/tube light all along the bed, which made the lighting very good inside the bed. The curtains were nice and blocked the light. The mattress and pillow were very comfy. I remember hitting the bed and sleeping almost instantly.
Luckily, the people in the room were respectful and didn’t create too much noise or ruckus. Met an Indian, a German, a Dutch, and a Russian. I went for an Italian dinner with the Dutch and read more about my post on places to eat in Paris.
Coming Back The People Hostel
I had such a good sleep, and the whole setup and vibe were chill yet peaceful that I booked it again for a night when I returned to Paris from Rome before taking my flight back to India. Since they are only present in France, you should explore them if you visit Paris. I’m sure I would have booked them if they were present in other parts of Europe.
In terms of price, I paid around Rs 3600 a night, which is extremely affordable considering Paris. For the facilities, rooms, and everything else, this hostel was a great value for money.
If you’re on a budget and looking for a budget-friendly place to stay, The People Hostel will not disappoint. If I ever go to Paris again, on a solo trip (I hope not), I’ll surely stay here, maybe in another location, but The People Bercy was amazing.
That’s about it for this post. Feel free to reach out to me for any assistance. Drop your thoughts in the comments below, tweet to me at @Atulmaharaj, DM on Atulmaharaj on Instagram, or Get In Touch.